A must for all healthy contemporary diets, quinoa is a protein-packed grain that cooks quickly and is a wonderful canvas for all sorts of add-ins and dressings. Annoyed with pot after pot of water or overcooked quinoa, I finally stumbled across a method that is sure to make perfect quinoa every time. The secret is always use a less-than-two-to-one ratio of water to quinoa and tuck paper towel between the pot and the lid while the quinoa is resting.
This mixed pot of quinoa and roast veggies is the perfect warm summer salad to share with friends, or make a batch up on a Sunday and use for lunches throughout the week.
So this is how it's done:
First choose your veggies, I used:
- Zucchini
- Capsicum
- Beetroot
- Sweet Potato
- Coconut oil
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
Peel and roughly chop your veggies into cubes. Spread them out evenly on a baking tray, scatter a little of the herbs over them, and drizzle a little oil over the top. Place veggies into a 180 degree C oven for around 20-30mins.
While this is cooking make the quinoa, this is how it's done:
1 Cup Quinoa
1 & 3/4 Cup Water
Coarse Sea Salt
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer (although this may sound like an unnecessary step, it really makes a huge difference in flavour, since quinoa's natural coating tastes like soap).
Place it in a pot set over high heat with the water and a big pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa's germs look like lots of little spirals, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, place a dry paper towel between the pot and the lid, and let the quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.
Enjoy, the most lightest fluffiest quinoa you've ever made. Let me know how it goes for you in the comments below.
If you love cooking healthy treats for all your friends and family, and you live in a close vicinity to Brisbane, come along to my Pot Luck Instameet in the Park next Saturday the 15th Febuary. Check out the details in my post found here. Ash and I would love to meet you there!
Nicole
xx
